Locomotive driving connection



A, W. BRUCE.

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED OCL I. 1921- '1,413,317, Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

m u-ss'zs I k I UNITED STATES PATENT ALFRED W. BRUCE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

nocomo'rrvn DRIVING connncrron.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 18, 1 922.

Application filed October 1, 1921. Serial No. 504,646.

and useful Improvement in Locomotive Driving Connections, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for transmitting operating power from the pistons of a locomotive engine to a plurality of pairs of coupled driving wheels, of the general class or type set forth in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,228,751, granted and issued to William Dalton, under date of June 5,1917.

The object of my invention is to provide a locomotive driving connection mechanism, in the operation of which all the advantages of that of Letters Patent No. 1,228,751 aforesaid, will be attained, with the further advantages of simplification and reduction of structural cost and weight, and the capacity of providing for considerable flexibility and misalignment, if occurring, and of adjustment of the main and side rods in the ordinary manner.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the driving connections on one side of a locomotive engine on which my invention is applied; Fig. 2, a partial horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, in theaxial plane of the main crank pin; and, Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section through the crank pin end of the main rod.

My invention is herein exemplified as ap' plied in connection with a locomotive engine having a main driving axle, 1, two forward driving axles, 1 1", and two rear driving axles 1, 1 all of which axles are fitted in journal boxes, 2, mounted in the side frame members, 3, of the locomotive,

and have, secured upon them, pairs of driv-' ing wheels, 1, in the usual manner. Rotation is imparted to the driving axles from 'the pistons of the locomotive cylinders,

through main connecting rods, 7, which are coupled at their forward ends to cross heads (not shown) secured upon the rods of the pistons, and, at their rear ends, to main crank pins, 8, fixed in the wheels of the main driving axle, 1. The wheels of the forward and rear driving axles are coupled to those of the main driving axle by coupling rods of side rods, 9, 9 10, 10 and, as thus far described, the disposition of the driving connections is similar to that in ordinary practice.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, a continuous main rod bearing, 8, is formed on the main crank pin, 8, said bearing extending throughout the working length of the crank pin, that is to say, from a collar thereon, abutting against the hub of the driving Wheel on which it is secured, to an extension, 8", of reduced dlameter, at its outer end, which extension is, in the most approved present practice, formed upon it for the attachment of an outside valve gear. A loose or floating sleeve or bushing, 7, is fitted freely on the main rod bearing, 8, said bushing extending throughout the length ofthe bearing, and the main connecting rod, 7, is coupled to said bushing, at

about the middle of its length. In the instance exemplified, the main rod is made with a solid end, of the ordinary form, and bears on the bushing, 7 through brasses, 7 the wear of whichis taken up, and their adjustment made to the proper degree of tightness, by a screw, 7, and wedges, 7 7

It will, however, be obvious that, if pre-- ferred, a main rod end of the usual block .and strap construction may be applied without variation of structural or operative principle. Y

The side rods or coupling rods, 9, and 10. by which the crank pins of the axles, 1 and 1, next adjoining the main axle, 1, are connected to the crank pins thereof, are, similarly to the main connecting rod, 7, coupled to the floating bushing, 7 and are located thereon on opposite sides of the main connecting rod, 7. The bearing of the rods, 9 and 10, on the bushing, 7 is preferably, as shown, through bushings, 9 and 10, fixed in said rods.

While my invention is more particularly adapted for application in locomotive engines, it is not limited to such application, as it may, without departure from its spirit and operative principle, be incorporated in other mechanisms wherein thrust from a connecting rod is transferred, through a crank pin, to other crank connections.

Among the advantages of my invention are the following; via:

(a) With cylinders centred as in existing designs, the capacity of increasing the thickness of wheel hubs, and thereby affording better bearings for axles and crank pins, and with increased thickness of hubs, increased counterbalance may be applied, which will be particularly desirable on main driving wheels of small diameter for heavy locomotives.

(b) On new designs, cylinder centres may be reduced while maintaining the same thickness of driving wheel hubs as in ordinary practice.

(a) Attainment of reduced pressure and bending moment on main crank pins, the load being transferred directly from the main rod, through the floating bushing, to the side rods, the main pin only carrying the weight and taking up the work for one pair of driving wheels.

(d) Elimination of all side rod knuckle joints by connecting the side rods directly to the main crank pins;

(e) Reduction of weight, as compared with present designs, with corresponding improvement of counterbalance conditions.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a locomotive engine having a plurality of driving axles, the combination of a main crank pin; a floatin bushing, fitting on said crank pin, throug out its working length a main connecting rod coupled to said bushing; and coupling rods, fitted on said bushing on opposite sides of said main connecting rod.

2. In a locomotive engine, having a plurality of driving axles, the combination of a main crank pin, of uniform diameter throughout its working length; a floating bushing fitting freely on said crank pin continuously throughout its working length; a main connecting rod, coupled to said bushing; and oppositely extending coupling rods,

fitted on said bushing, on opposite sides of ALFRED W. BRUCE.

'Witnesses: I

J. SNowDEN BELL, HELEN R. HARRISON. 

